Birds of a Feather
by MeishiMay
Summary: All her life Sophia Peletier has been shunned and abused because of who she is, but all that changes when she meets someone special in the end of the world. A Walking Dead AU where mutants exist.
1. It's the End of the World

**Welcome to my new story! I had this idea pop into my head while I was taking out one of the chapters for** _ **That Damn Deer Girl**_ **, and decided to see how people liked it. This story takes place in the walking dead universe, but not the x men universe, meaning that all the walking characters exist, but not the x men characters. The x gene is the only thing from Marvel that exists in this story. With that being said I'd like to give credit to Marvel, and AMC, the characters and some concepts. The only things I own are this story.**

 **Enjoy~**

Carol waited anxiously in her hospital bed. Her hair was in a tousled heap, and her makeup was ruined by the sweat that ran down her pale face.

"What do you think is taking so long?" She asked her husband nervously.

Ed simply huffed and pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket.

"Whatever the hell it is it better be good". He grunted.

"I don't think you can smoke in here". Carol said in a weak voice.

"I'll smoke wherever the hell I want". Her husband growled back.

She turned away from the man, and gazed out into the busy hall, watching nurses roll stretchers by, people on their way to visit friends and family, and doctors as the bustled by carrying stacks of paperwork . Her mind raced as she watched the commotion of the hospital.

After a long, and not to mention painful labor, the doctors had whisked her baby away, muttering about 'complications'. That had been almost ten minutes ago, and so far she hadn't heard any more news. She just prayed to every God that would listen that her baby was okay.

"Mr and Mrs. Peletier?"

Carol snapped her head towards the sound of the doctor's voice. He stood in the doorway holding a bundle of pink blankets. The woman could see a tiny sleeping face that poked out of the cocoon. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell on her child. Nothing seemed wrong with the baby, so what was the complications?

"Is my baby okay?" Carol asked immediately.

"Yes, but there seems to be an issue". He replied with hesitation.

"W-what is it". She questioned fearfully.

The doctor took a deep breath, and slowly unwrapped the bright blanket from around her little girl. Carol watched as he turned her around so she could see her small backside. The mother gasped as she laid eyes on her exposed child. A small pair of wet grey wings grew from her delicate shoulder blades. They hung limp against the baby's back, and reached down to her tiny bottom.

"T-that's it?" Carol asked in disbelief. "She's a mutant? That was the complication?"

"Well we needed to be sure". The doctor said, rewrapping the baby in her warm coverings.

"And?" Ed piped up from the background.

"And she has tested positive for the x gene". He admitted.

"Great! That's just great! Our child's a damn freak". The new father said, throwing his large hands up. "This is from your side of the family". He added to Carol with a snarl.

The doctor handed new born over to her mother's awaiting arms, and instantly she fell in love with the tiny creature.

"I don't care if she's a mutant or a human". She said, cradling the child. "All that matters is that she's happy".

"Speak for yourself". Ed huffed. "Can't you cut those things off?"

"It wouldn't be advised". The doctor said. "Doing so might result in the full removal of her shoulder blades".

Ed muttered something about hippie doctors, and stomped out his cigarette on the white floor.

"Do you have a name for her". The medical professional said, trying to change the subject.

"Sophia". Carol breathed, staring into her child's bright blue eyes.

Sophia looked back up at the caring face of her new mother. She cooed and gave a small, toothless, smile. Carol had been worried about making a baby with Ed's evil DNA, but as she looked into the infant's eyes she knew that Sophia would grow up to be like him.

After the couple signed all the necessary paperwork Carol and Ed headed home to start the next chapter of their life together. Carol both feared and loved the idea of having a child. Now she had a new piece of herself to love and call family, but she also gave Ed someone new to batter and mistreat.

…

Over the next twelve years Sophia grew up shunned by her peers at school, and abused by her father at home. There seemed to be no place for a young mutant in the world. In fact the only places she found comfort were with the few other mutant children scattered about her school, and with her own mother.

No matter what Carol always took care of her daughter. Whether she protected Sophia from one of Eds drunken rampages, or sliced holes in the back of the girls clothing for her wings to poke through, to when she stood up against hateful people when they went out, the mother was always there for her daughter. But one day everything changed in a very fast and very frightening way.

Sophia was working on getting herself ready for bed. She padded around her small bedroom, and gathered up all the things she needed to go to sleep. The girl grabbed a light pink tank top off her nightstand, and wiggled over her blonde head. She reached her thin arms around her back to gently yank her soft wings through the slilts that were sliced into the back of her top. Sophia gave her wings a small flap, and refolded them tight against her back. The feathery appendage felt heavy, and warm, like getting a hug from someone you care about. If there was one thing she loved about her wings it was the feeling of protection they gave her.

Just as she went to go grab her hair brush Sophia's door burst open. She looked up in surprise to see a flustered looking Carol. The panic in her blue eyes scared the girl. She hadn't heard her father yelling from downstairs, so what could be making her mother look so frightened?

"Grab your suitcase baby". She said in a soft voice that tried in vain to mask her panic.

"What's goin' on? Sophia asked in confusion. "Is it daddy?"

"No, no". Carol assured her daughter. "We just need to go now, I'll explain later".

Sophia was instructed by her mother to pack her important things, like clothing, blankets, and some personal care products. She was allowed to bring only one book with her to where ever it was they were headed, so she decided to grab _Maximum Ride_ from her large collection of books.

The girl had been in love with the _Maximum Ride_ series ever since she was eight years old. She tended to skip recess to hide in the library, so she could escape the cruel taunts and jeers of the other students. One day as she roamed through the tall shelves she came across what would become her favorite series. How could Sophia not fall in love with a book about a girl with wings on the run?

Once her bag was all packed, and zipped, Sophia threw on a blue hoodie to hide her own wings. She was used to people staring, and even yelling insults, when she went out in public. On a few rare occasions strangers would tell her that the large grey and white speckled wings were beautiful. Sadly that didn't happen often though, and the girl just found it easier to hide them.

Sophia dragged the suitcase down the stairs with a small _thunk_ for every step it went over with its small wheels. When she reached the living room she was meet by her anxious mother.

"Good job, sweetie". Carol said, patting her daughter's blonde head.

Sophia looked around the living room, and noticed that a lot of their family pictures, and knick knacks, were gone.

 _Why did momma pack up the house?_ She wondered.

Sophia's curious thoughts were interrupted by her mother picking up her suitcase, ushering her out of the house. When she got outside she blinked, and looked around the streets. She saw her neighbors all piling into their own cars with the same panicked faces as Carol.

"Mama, what's happening?" She asked, becoming increasingly more worried.

"We have to leave, but everything will be fine". Her mother responded. "We'll be back before you know it".

Sophia sighed and just decided to shut up and stop asking questions before her father told her to do so. Carol loaded a couple bags of food into the back of the families yellow Jeep Cherokee.

Carol had wanted a safer family car after Sophia had been born, but now she was happy to have the extra space.

"Took y'all long enough". Ed snapped as Carol slammed the back hatch shut.

"Sorry". Sophia muttered to her dad.

"What?" He asked dangerously.

"Sorry sir". She repeated.

"That's better". He huffed, sitting up. "Now let's go".

The Jeep roared to life as Ed turned the keys in the ignition. The powerful engine purred softly as they pulled out of their driveway, and cruised down the road. Sophia stared out her window, and what she saw surprised her. Some people were boarding up their houses in a panic, while others were packing up their cars with their family's like they had. She also saw a lot of disheveled looking people, moaning and groaning, as they shuffled up and down the street. They looked sick.

Sophia's head snapped in the direction of a scream, and what she saw shocked her young mind. The girl felt sick to her stomach as she watched one of the sick people, an older woman, grab a man as he tried to run past. The woman sunk her teeth into the poor man's neck, and tore out a large chunk as he continued to scream. So the attacker was joined by more sick people, and they all tore into the man like wild animals. Sophia gasped, and felt hot tears start to well in her eyes. She had seen gore on tv before, her dad was fond of horror movies, and she was used to seeing blood and guts. But something about seeing the real thing made it feel fake. The man's insides were a lot more brown, blood a lot darker, and his body didn't go limp after he was ripped open like in the movies. Instead he continued to thrash and flail against his enviable death.

Carol threw her arms back, and covered her daughter's eyes with her hands, so she wouldn't have to see anymore of the horrid display. The news had said that things were bad, but not this bad. Nothing could have prepared them for the bloodbath they saw. The man was only one of many casualties the family witnessed on the road.

Carols hands did little to stop Sophia from seeing brutal murder after brutal murder, and after a while of driving she found her voice.

"Where are we going?" The girl asked in a voice above a whisper.

Ed merely glared at the child in his rearview mirror, while Carol patted her leg, and finally offered up an answer.

"Atlanta". She admitted.

Since her father stayed silent Sophia felt a little brave, and decided to prod further

"Why?"

"To stay with your aunt Sue". Her mother replied.

"That damn freak". Ed muttered to himself loud enough that the others could here.

It was true that Carol's sister was a mutant with the honesty handy ability to manipulate objects around her, and probably responsible for the mutant DNA in Sophia's genes, as she's the only other mutant in the family.

"Why?" Sophia asked once more, testing her luck.

"Because we said so!" Ed snapped.

Sophia had used up all her luck. She sighed, and slumped back in her seat. She rustled and moved her wings under her sweatshirt. Sitting with the car seat pressed up against her back for long periods of time always hurt her wings. The girl just had to suck it up and wait for the car to stop. Ed didn't like any mention of his daughters mutation.

The girl decided to pass the time by looking out her window again, but what she saw made her want to scream. What looked like hundreds of sick people came shambling out of buildings all around the family as they drove down the nearly empty city street. The sick growled and moaned eagerly as the closed in on the yellow car. Sophia's heart thudded painfully in her chest as a large group of the sick crowded in front of the Jeep. The image of the man being torn apart flooded into her mind as the people approached the car. She felt her wings poise and flex on instinct.

"Come on move it! Ed yelled, laying into the horn.

The loud beeping noise did little to deter the sick, in fact it only seemed to make them more excited. Carol put her hand on her husband's arm, and suggested he calmed down. He suggested something vulgar in response, and rewarded Carol with a smack. Sophia fought to sit still through the exchange, but knew that stepping in only made things worse.

The car started to rock as many hands started to violently pound on its sides. The snarls and moans were a lot louder now, and started to sound more like hungry chants. Sophia didn't know why people wanted to eat them, she just knew that she didn't like it. The girl fought to keep herself from crying because she knew from experience that her father didn't like tears.

Ed yelled a couple choice words at the "thugs" that were touching his beloved Jeep.

"If you don't get your dirty fucking hands off my car I'll ran y'all over!" He screamed in anger.

After a few more swears and threats Ed held true to his word, and threw the car in reverse. Carol covered her daughters young eyes once more as the blood from the monsters unfortunate enough to get caught under their tires slashed up onto the windows.

For once in her life the woman was thankful for her husband's anger, and brash decision making. It had probably just saved their lives.

"Baby why don't you get some reading done?" Carol suggested to her child. If she had her nose buried in a book she couldn't see any more horror.

"Okay, mama".

…

After what felt like forever, while at least forever in a child's mind, the car slowed to a halt. Sophia blinked and pick her head up off the window sill. Had she fallen asleep? She looked around, and saw rows upon rows of other cars all around them. Scarred looking people stood around talking nervously with friends, family, and other survivors. The sun had started to rise, and cast a light tint over the otherwise dark highway.

Sophia closed the open book that laced forgotten in her lap, and popped open her door to climb out after her parents. Ed swore when he saw the long line of cars in front, and behind them. She could hear the metallic drone of helicopters as they flew high above their anxious heads.

"I can't see anything". He said in frustration. "Why doesn't that mistake make herself useful, and go see what's going on?" He added the suggestion.

Carol put her delicate hands on Sophia's small shoulders, and rephrased the request in a much nicer way.

"Can you go fly ahead, and see what's causing the jam?" She asked her beloved child.

Sophia shifted her wig her nervously as she thought about the request she didn't like the idea of straying from her mother, or letting people see her wings, but she figured if something happened, or those monsters showed up she could always just fly back to her parents. Plus the idea of rejecting her father's request scared Sophia more than any sick person, so she just simply nodded, and shrugged off her sweatshirt.

The girl heard some nearby survivors in neighboring cars gasp as she shook out her grey wings. Carol boosted Sophia on top of the yellow Jeep, so she'd have a place to jump from. She had learned the hard way last summer that ground take offs were harder than she expected. More gasps and whispers from the other as Sophia extended her feathery appendages to their full span of an impressive six feet. The grey feathers were dotted with white flecks the ends much the the freckles on her face.

Sophia gave a few hard flaps before she jumped off the roof of the car. She had to give another couple had flaps to stay airborne from the low take off point. She muttered her apologise as her large wings almost hit many of the astonished on lookers. The girl felt her heart pump with joy as she felt the wind catch under her feathers. Pure adrenaline coursed through her small body was she took off up the line of cars. It had been awhile since she got the chance to fly. She forgot how much fun it was.

Sophia hung low to avoid confrontation with the large helicopters that flew above her. The last thing she wanted was to be shoot at or pulled into a propeller blade. She looked down to watched the ground, that was a mere fifteen here under her, rush by. The girl knew that she could make the ground fly by in a whirlwind of color if she wanted to. Her wings could move her pretty fast when she put her mind to it, but she didn't want to miss anything important.

Sophia was nearing the front of the long chain for cars when she heard an agent shout.

"Mutant freak!"

Before she knew what was happening a large rock came sailing through the air, and struck Sophia on the side of her head. Startled, her powerful wings fell out of sync, and overlapped. She flapped wild in a desperate attempt to say in the air, but the ground rushed up to meet her to quickly.

Sophia crashed down to Earth, and white stars exploded in her vision, as she slammed into the side of someone's suv. She landed in a crumpled heap on the rough pavement with one wing bent over her head,

And the other laying limp on the ground.

"Woah!"

Sophia groaned, and lifted her head up of the ground. When she looked up she was meet with the face of an amazed looking boy, who appeared to be about her own age, and two concerned looking adults that stood behind him.

"I am so sorry". She said quickly, getting to her feet. "I-I didn't mean to crash into your car, someone threw a rock at me, and I lost control".

She stood waiting for the usually tongue lashing that came whenever someone saw her mutation, but it never came. Instead she was greeted with kindness.

"Don't worry about. Not your fault". The man said, staring at her wings. "Do you know who threw the rock?"

Sophia shook her head no. She wasn't fully sure what she should do, this seemed to be one of the rare occasions where she meet someone amazed by her mutants on,

"Are all right?" The woman asked with a motherly concern.

"Yeah. I think I am". Sophia responded.

The girl stretched out her wings, and gave them a flap to be sure. She thanked the lord that nothing seemed to be broken. She blushed as she heard the boy gasp.

"Carl, don't stare". The woman said. "It's rude".

"Oh no, it's okay". Sophia stammered , pulling her wings back in. "I mean I did just fall out of the sky".

The group stood in an awkward silence for a moment, trying to process the situation, before Sophia decided to break the silence.

"I'm Sophia Peletier". She said, introducing herself to the trio.

"Nice to meet you Sophia, I'm Shane Walsh". The man said, offering the girl

his hand. She hesitated for a moment boxer takin it. "And this is Lori Grimes and her son Carl". Shane finished, nodding to Lori and Carl respectively.

"So um, Sophia, what brings you here? Crashing out of the sky". Lori asked.

"Well my mama told me to fly ahead, and see if I capfuls find what's causing this jam". She replied. "But then some jerk threw a rock at me while yellin' about mutants".

"That ain't right". Shane muttered to the girl.

"Can I touch your wings". Carl asked suddenly.

"Carl, what'd I say about being rude". Lori warned her boy.

"I'm sorry but they're just so pretty!" He responded.

Sophia blinked taken aback. Had she heard him right? He thought her wings were pretty? Most of the kids back at school would tell her the light grey and white speckled coloring made her look like a flying rat with dandruff.

"It's fine". She said, breaking into a slow smile.

Sophia cracked her knuckles, and re extended her light wings. She didn't put them out fully though, so the boy could run his hands along the curved corvet, and feel where the appendages folded.

Carl reached forward with a timid, yet excited, hand, and gently stroked the long primary feathers that helped guide the girl in flight. He was amazed by how soft, and warm, Sophia's wings felt. He could feel the powerful muscles shift, and relax, under their feathery covering as he traced his hand up toward her covert.

Sophia smiled, and extended her other wing toward Shane and Lori, telling them that it was okay if they wanted to feel her too. After all not many people got the chance to touch a bird wing, much less a human sized one.

Shane took the kids large wing, and placed of of his hands under her secondary feathers, and the other over the top her covert. He gently pulled on the wind, and extended it fully, before he closed it. The man did this a few more times with a look of pure wonder on his face.

"This is amazing". He muttered in disbelief.

Lori nodded her agreement as she patted the white speckles that ran down Sophia's primary and secondary feathers.

"You can really fly?" She asked.

The girl nodded yes in response to the question.

"Lucky". Carl breathed.

Sophia looked into the sky and saw that sun was almost fully risen. Her blue eyes widened as she realized that she'd been gone for almost thirty minutes.

"What time is it!?" She asked in a suddenly panic.

"6:45". Shane answered, looking at his watch.

"I need to get back!" Sophia exclaimed.

She thanked the Grimes, and Shane, for their kindness, and they thank her for letting the invade her space a little. Sophia climbed to the top of the groups suv, and from the top, she threw herself into the air.

The girl looked down, and saw her new friends waving goodby from below. She smiled and waved back before picking up speed. Sophia set off back towards her parents with a new feeling of pride at her mutation. She could hardly believe that someone, other than other mutations, though her wings were pretty.

 **AN: And we've reached the end of the first chapter. Like I said this is a new concept I'm trying out, and if you want me to continue then please tell me so. Feel free to leave a follow, review, or favorite!**

 **Thanks for reading! New chapter soon~**


	2. Horned Owls and Suv's

**Welcome back to** _ **Birds of a Feather**_. **You guys seemed to want the story to continue, so here it is! Chapter two! One thing I do want to say before I let you guys and gals go is that I'm well aware of all the typos in the first chapter. I wrote it on my phone, and autocorrect didn't seem to want to help me. Anyway,**

 **Enjoy~**

Carol paced anxiously up and down the crowded pavement. She ran her delicate hand across the cool metal of the Jeep. Ed chose to sit inside the safety of the car, so he wouldn't have to deal with the stares and murmurs of the other survivors. The mother turned, and squinted at the sun. Where was Sophia? She had left nearly an hour ago. Carol sighed, and looked around the crowd of her fellow survivors.

There had been no sign of those horrible sick people in the woods around the highway, but a sense of dread lingered over the frightened people. She prayed with every beat of her heart that none of this would last very long.

Carol looked up at the sound of hushed voices picking up around her, and spotted her daughter in the sky. She couldn't help but smile at the look of joy on her young face.

Sophia had always been a fan of flying, who wouldn't be? But under the constant threat of having her beautiful wings clipped by Ed, she didn't get much chance to do it. Carol used to sneak out with her child, on days where Ed was just too wasted to care, and bring her to the large woods that sat just outside their small town. Carol would spend hours watching Sophia explore the sky, weaving in between trees, and even racing curious birds as they passed by.

Carol snapped back to attention as Sophia banked, and came skidding to a running stop just short of the yellow car. She had never been very good at landings.

"Where were you?" Carol asked with motherly concern. "And what happened to your head!?"

"Huh?"

Sophia blinked, and reached her hand up to feel around her face. She ran her thin fingers through her blonde hairline, and found her fingers got soaked in the process. The girl pulled her hand back, and stared at the red blood that gathered on her skin in surprise. Her temple was bleeding where the rock had hit. Sophia hadn't even noticed that she was injured. Was she bleeding when she talked to that family?

"I got hit by a rock". She explained, looking up from her hand. "Then I crashed into this family's car, but they were really nice about it".

"Oh, baby girl". Carol said softly.

The mother pulled her surprised daughter into a tight hug. This sadly wasn't the first time Sophia came back from an outing with a bigotry motivated injury.

Carol felt the girl's muscles relax some as she rubbed in between her shoulder blades. Sophia's large wings always made it impossible for her to reach the area, so she would often seek Carols help for a pesky itch.

Carol pulled out of the hug, and gave Sophia a warm smile. She pulled the girl's sweatshirt out of a bag, and helped Sophia wiggle it over her wings.

The mother and daughter moment was broken up as Ed stepped out the the Jeep. He didn't look very pleased to see that Sophia had returned with a wound.

"What happened?" He asked in a stiff voice. "Did you finally do something' useful?"

"No sir". Sophia shook her head hesitantly. "I got… sidetracked".

"You what?!" He barked back.

Sophia flinched at his sudden raise in voice. She had hoped that maybe the presence of other people would keep her father from acting the way he did at home, but it seemed that the others around him meant nothing.

"I gave you one simple job! One! And you couldn't even do it". Her dad yelled.

Sophia fought every fight or flight instinct she had as Ed leaned in close to her face. He stood so close that she could smell a mixture of booze and smoke on his warm breath.

"When I tell you to do something," he growled deeply, "you best do it".

"Leave her alone, Ed" Carol piped up, interrupting the dominate display. "She was attacked. It's not her fault.

Ed's eyes blazed as he drew away from the young girl. Carol felt a feeling of relief spread through her when he decided to leave Sophia alone, but that relief was short lived. A new feeling of panic settled in the woman's chest as Ed turned his anger towards her. He grabbed Carol by the collar of her pale shirt, and tugged her forward, so their noses practically touched.

"You don't ever fucking tell me what to do". He warned in a low voice that sent shivers down Carols frail spine. "Especially when it comes to my daughter. She's my property, and I'll do whatever the fuck I please to her".

"Don't forget who's in charge here". He added before releasing his grip on his wife.

Before Ed could do anything else, or make any more threats, a large _boom_ rang through the still air, and made hundreds of startled heads turn towards Atlanta in unison. Carol felt her stomach drop as she watched the large city go up in flames. The helicopters from earlier hovered above the city.

 _Boom, boom, boom._

One after another the helicopters dropped destructive bombs over Atlanta. Carol watched along with the others in horror was bright red flames swallowed up the city. The tall buildings that lined the streets came crashing down under the force of each strike. After a few moments of stunned silence people started to yell, and run for there cars.

Ed, Carol, and Sophia, all piled into the Jeep as the sound of synchronized foot steps marched down the highway. Sophia dares to look out the window, and saw the tops of heads of shoulders as they weaved in between the cars that littered the road. The roar of gun shots sliced through the chaos as those unfortunate enough to to not make it to there vehicles I time were mowed down by a hailstorm of bullets.

Sophia noticed the the soldiers took some extra time to put a bullet through each of the now dead people's heads. Once that task was completed they turned, and opened fire on the escaping cars.

"Sophia, put your head down!" Carol instructed urgently as a military official approached their car, gun at the ready.

Ed revved the Jeeps powerful engine, warning the armed man to stand down. However being faced with a several ton vehicle didn't seem to bother the soldier. Instead of running away he put his finger to the trigger.

Sophia bent over with her head between her knees as Carol had instructed, and waited to hear the sound of the windshield being shattered under the force of hundreds of bullets. The girl wondered in fear if it hurt to die. She felt her wings twitch under the sweatshirt that held them in.

Sophia really hoped that all the stories she had been told about heaven and angels were true.

After a second that seemed to last an hour Ed drove his foot into the gas pedal, and pushed it to the dirty car floor. The soldiers gun fired into the air uselessly as he was yanked under the Jeeps spinning tires.

Carol felt a conflicted mixture of relief and horror as Ed drove them into the woods. Sure they just escaped with their lives, but they also just killed a military official. Ed was going to jail when this is all over. How could she support Sophia? She didn't even have a job. Carol took a deep breath in an attempt to steady her train of thought. She would worry about possible future situations layer. All that mattered right then was that Sophia was safe, and they had all escaped bullet free.

Sophia cautiously looked up after the sound of bullets faded into the distance. She allowed her gaze to wander. Her eyes took in the trees that surrounded to car as it rushed past. The sun was fully risen, and cast a warm glow down over the land. The girl could see the headlights of a another scattered car in the forest as its occupants escaped the lingering death the military had brought.

Sophia's heart skipped a beat when she recognised the other car as the suv she had crashed into.

"I know them!" She blurted before she could stop herself.

"What?" Carol asked, turning to face her child. "How?"

"There the family who's car I crashed into". She explained.

"Great". Ed muttered.

They pulled away from the other family, and headed off deeper into the woods. Sophia watched the Grimes car fade away from the back window until it was nothing but a light speck among the many trees.

…

After a while of driving the trees started to thin. Sophia looked around the new area that surrounded them. The ground was flat with patches of rock in the bright grass. The girl gasped when she laid eyes on the beautiful landscape that sat just ahead. A huge crater sat smack in the middle of the land with rolling green hills surrounding the area. Something deep inside her nagged that she should glide across the large gap as soon as she could.

"Wow". Sophia breathed. "What left that hole?"

"People". Carol told her. "This looks like a quarry".

"Quarry?"

"A place mined out for different kinds of stones". Carol explained.

"Oh, cool".

The car tilted forward as it climbed down the long path that led to the bottom of the huge stone pit. The area at the bottom was covered in water, but had a large ledge that snaked all the way around, and created a more than roomie area for them to park.

Sophia popped open her car door as the vehicle came to a stop. She stepped out into the open area, and could feel the warmth of the sun heated stone. Carol looked up to the sky, and frowned.

"Are you sure this is the best place to stop?" She asked bravely.

"Yes". Was Ed's short reply. "It's hidden from those pigs".

He set to work unpacking the Jeep. The man took out sleeping bags, suitcases, and the large tent that they had brought. Carol knew that one word answers were the closest thing that she ever got to a warning, but decided to try again anyways.

"It's just that the helicopters will have a perfect view of us if they passed through here". She said.

Carol saw Sophia's blonde head swivel towards her at the mention of the helicopters that had bombed the city. Ed slammed the back of his beloved Cherokee shut, and turned to face Carol with a nasty glare.

"It's not a woman's place to correct the husband". He growled. "We'll be just fine here".

Carol could tell that there was no arguing with Ed about the matter, so she decided to just drop it. The mother wandered over to her daughter. A troubled look was etched over her freckled face.

"What's the matter sweetie?" She asked. "Worried about the helicopters?"

"No... well yes, but that's not what's bothering me". She said slowly. "It's the other family".

"What about them?"

"Don't you think that it would be kind of... Wrong if we didn't bring them to this place?"

"Well, baby, we can't help everybody".

"But we can help them".

Carol considered her daughter words for a moment, and realized that she was right. It was true that they couldn't help everyone in need, but they sure could help at least one family, and it would be wrong for them to just abandon people in need.

"You're right" Carol said, patting Sophia's small shoulder. "You're such a kind soul".

Carol walked away from her beaming daughter. Now came the hard part about helping people out, asking Ed for permission. She approached her husband with caution.

"Hey, I was thinking that we could invite those people from the woods to come-"

"Absolutely not". Ed interrupted.

"But the more people we have the less of a chance of being caught off guard if some of those sick people show up". Carol begged.

"I am not sharing this area with some other shit family". He grunted.

"The more people the less work we'd have to do". She continued.

Carol didn't really believe in sticking one group with all the work of making sure the area was safe, but she knew that she needed to play into Ed's interests. If there was one thing that he hated it was work.

"Fine". He finally agreed. "But only because I said so".

Carol nodded, and half jogged back over to a waiting Sophia that sat perched on a rock. The girl greeted her mother with a small, questioning, smile. She sat down next to her daughter.

"He said yes". She smiled.

Sophia's grin turned from one of uncertainty to one of pure joy. She gave a small shiver of excitement, and stifled a pitched giggle. The thought of having that nice family around made the girl momentarily forget about the horrors that she had seen. Maybe with others around her father would act kinder? The idea was well worth a shot.

"Are we gonna drive back?" Sophia asked.

Carol shook her closed shaved head.

"Daddy doesn't like it when I drive, and he won't leave in the middle of seat up". She said.

"Then how are we gonna lead them back?" Sophia tilted her head in curiosity. "It's too far to walk".

"Well, I was thinking that you could fly back". She told her. "Do your remember the way?"

"I think so". Sophia said, running the route they had taken through her head.

The girl leapt up from the rock as soon as she had the path burned into her mind. Sophia was ready to set out on her little adventure. She gave her mother a tight hug, and shrugged of her sweatshirt. She took off towards the edge of the large ledge. Her sneakers kicked up gravel as she threw herself off the ground. Sophia's heart rate picked up as her small body plummeted towards the still water that waited below.

Before the bright blue liquid had the chance to rush up, and meet her, Sophia unfurled her large wings to their full span. The wind caught under her feathers as she gave a powerful flap, and yanked her up away from the ground.

The idea of straying from the protection of her mother frightened the girl, but at the same time the feeling of freedom she got from flying made Sophia feel a little safe. After all she could fly, and those sick people and soldiers, couldn't. As Long as she didn't land she should be just fine.

Sophia scanned the trees as they passed below. She had to be at least a two hundred feet up in the warm Georgian sky. Much like a bird the girl had an amazing sense of eyesight, and knew that she could fly higher if she wanted, but sometimes the thin air that came with flying high hurt her young lungs, so she just played it safe and flew low.

Unfortunately Sophia didn't share a bird's acute sense of direction, and after awhile she began to see landmarks that she didn't recognize. The girl frowned down at a small cabin that sat in the middle of a cluster of trees. She had definitely gone the wrong way.

Sophia groaned, and tilted her body to swing a wide arch. She wheeled around in the sky to head back the way that she had came.

 _I must have passed them somehow._ She thought.

The loud droning sound of helicopter blades chopping through the air as they flew in the sky above forced Sophia to dip low into the tree line. After seeing the flying metal monsters destroy Atlanta being sucked into a propeller was no longer the girls main concern. Sophia twisted, and twirled, her way through the air to avoid being smacked down by the stray branches that reached out.

Sophia turned her head towards the soft chirp of a woodpecker as he drilled away at a defenseless tree. The girl shifted the vocal chords in her throat, and gave a loud screech. The woodpecker let out a startled cry as he flew away from his wooden victim. Sophia smiled at the now saved tree with pride. She coughed as her vocal chords shifted back into their normal place.

Sophia had discovered that little trick after a school field trip to the _Georgia Museum of Natural History._ She had spent hours roaming the large building with several other board class mates . The girl had been lucky enough to have her best, and only friend, Molly in the group. Molly was a fellow mutant with the strength of a thousand grown men. Sophia never had to worry about being picked on when she was around. The pair spent the entire trip staring at boring signs, and half listening to the dull voice of the tour guide.

After what felt forever the guid brought them to the room for wildlife. Sophia stalked around the room full of taxidermied animals, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry of them. She stopped in front of a glass case filled with stuff birds, all place in various poses. The girl felt a large hand pull on the string of her heart. These birds had once flew free like she did out in the woods, but now they were trapped in a small space, like her at home. Her eyes wandered over to the display of owls as the other students crowded around to have a look.

The tour guide came over to explain the different types of birds shown in the enclosement. When he got to the predatory birds he asked Sophia to step forward. Molly gave her a nudge towards the guide, and smile. She stepped forward uneasily, and approached the man.

"Now this a white great horned owl". He explained, gesturing to a large owl frozen mid flight.

The guide motion for Sophia to turn around, and she did as he wanted. She wasn't very comfortable around this man, or men in general, but saw no real harm in just doing what he wanted. Nothing bad could happen with Molly around. He traced his hand along her right shoulder blade, and over the covert of her wing. She felt him carefully extend the soft appendage away from its spot folded tightly on her back.

"As you can see her your classmate appears to share the traits of this feared predator". He explained.

"I do?" Sophia blinked in confusion.

"Sure, see?"

The guide turned Sophia around so she faced the watchful eyes of her classmates. For once in her life she saw looks of wonder on their faces instead of hatred.

"You can tell by the fine pattern on the secondary feathers here".

Sophia had never really given much thought to what kind of bird her wings came from. She always just kind of assumed that her wings were their own special kind. It was pretty cool to actually have an animal to associate them with though. Molly spent the rest of the day playfully making hooting noises after learning that little fact. Sophia soon began to copy the action, and found that she had a talent for it. She figured it came with the wings.

Sophia smiled at the memory of the field trip. She missed Molly, and began to wonder if she was okay. Hopefully she hadn't been in Atlanta, and had escaped into the woods like she did with her family.

Sophia was yanked away from her thoughts by a large tree branch that came out of what seemed like no where. The girl yelped, and folded her wings in tight to avoid a head on collision. Her small body dropped from the sky like a sack of stones. She reopened her wings and gave a few desperate flaps to keep from becoming a puddle on the, fast approaching, leafy ground below.

The mutant child shook her small head, and refocused herself as she rose back into the air. That had been way too close for comfort. She needed to keep her thought on the task at hand. Sophia looked around the woods below, and spotted exactly what she was looking for, a light grey suv driving along the forest floor.

Sophia grinned with pride at her tracking skill, and folded in the tips of her wings. She banked towards the car, and landed on a low hanging branch. The girl watched the car approach the tree she sat in, and waved it down as it drew near.

From inside the car Shane sat in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drove. Lori leaned forward in the passenger seat to peer out the front windshield.

"Isn't that the mutant girl from the highway?" She asked, looking up into the tree in front of them.

Shane followed Lori's gaze upwards, and spotted the young girl crouched in a tree. He locked eyes with here through the windshield, and she lept off the branch she sat on. The mutant circle around the car a few times before flying away. After a few seconds she flew back, and repeated to motion.

"What in the world is she doing?" Shane muttered in slight amusement.

"I think she wants us to follow her". Carl piped up from the backseat.

"I don't know…" Lori said slowly. "Do you think we can't trust her?"

"Only one way to find out".

Sophia watched the car rev back to life under her.

 _Looks like they got the message._ She thought excitedly.

Sophia took of back towards the quarry in joy. She couldn't wait to get back to her mother, and have some company around the quarry. She had only been there for under an hour, but in that short time the huge area began to feel way too empty. The girl haf to remind herself to slow down on a few occasions where the car lagged behind her powerful wings.

After flying for a few miles Sophia could see the large crater that was the quarry just ahead. She dropped down low, and pulled up as close as she could get to the car without hitting it. She guided the vehicle to the long ramp that lead to where her parents had begun to set up a small camp.

Once they were on the down tilted road Sophia knew that there was no possible way that they could get lost, so she went to go join back up with her mother. The girl tucked in her wings, angled her body downwards. She rocketed towards the rocky ground at dangerously high speeds.

Carol turned in time to see Sophia end her dive bomb with a triumphant flourish of her feathery wings. The large appendages yanked on her back when they snapped open to keep her from meeting a messy death.

"Ta da!" She said with a bow.

Carol clapped in amusement at her daughter's trick. As much as flying tricks scared her, the mother knew that they brought Sophia a lot of much need joy, so she went along with them.

"I take it you found them?" She asked the beaming girl.

"Yup". She nodded.

Sophia pointed to the gravelly path that weaved its way down into the quarry. Carol's gaze traced up her child's finger, and came to a rest on a light grey suv moving with a _crunch_ as it went over the many bits of rock.

Carol straightened up, and brushed some dust off her wrinkled shirt.

 _Time to meet some new people._ She thought with as much positivity she could muster.

 **AN: Alright I hope you all liked the new chapter. Feel free to let me know if you have any comments with reviews.**

 **Thanks for reading! New chapter soon~**


	3. Camp

Sophia waited in anticipation as the suv doors popped open. One by one, Lori, Shane, and Carl all stepped out to have a look around the area that the girl had brought them to. Shane approached Ed with his large hand extended in a friendly manner.

"I'm Shane Walsh, how are you?"

Carol rushed forward to shake the man's hand, after Ed did nothing but glare at the gesture. The last thing that she wanted were for these people to think them rude. Who knew how long they'd be camping together?

"Hi, Shane". She greeted. "I'm Carol, and this is my husband, Ed, and you've already met my daughter, Sophia".

Sophia shyly gave the man small wave upon hearing her name.

"Nice to meet you". He responded.

The two families spent the next few minutes excusing their hellos, and introductions, before they set to work making a small camp. Ed sat on a nearby rock smoking a cigarette, and watching Carol like a hawk, as she and Lori pitched the tents. Shane and Carl worked together to build a tiny fireplace. Sophia sat high above in an old tree, scanning the area for any sick people or military.

She watched the others work on the camp. They would have it put together in no time. Sophia looked away from the busy survivors, and towards the sound of tires as they crunch on the gravel road. The girl squinted at the approaching vehicle. It was far away, but with her mutated eyes, Sophia could make out it was an rv. She cast her gaze back down to the others. The rv was too far away for them to notice.

Sophia gathered her courage, and decided to investigate. Normally she would have opted to go tell her mother, but she didn't want to disturb her work. She leaned forward until the tree branch was yanked from under her feet. The mutant unfurled her grey wings, and felt a slight tug on her back as she went from falling to flying. She wheeled around in the sky, and headed off towards the intruding vehicle.

"Where's she going?"

Carol looked up from her work at the sound of Lori's confused voice.

"What?" She blinked.

Lori pointed up towards the sky. Carol traced her gaze up the woman's arm, and spotted a fleck of color high in the late morning sky that could only be Sophia. She watched as her daughter picked up speed, and journeyed off back towards the road. The mother felt panic grip her heart. She stood up suddenly, and released her hold on the tent, causing it to fold in on itself. Ed scowled at the setback in progress as Lori put her hand on Carol's shoulder.

"Where's she going?!" Carol repeated Lori's question, with more urgency.

"I'm sure she's just doing a little exploring". Lori tried to reassure the startled mother. "She'll be back".

Carol simply gave a small nod, and returned to her crouched position, so she could help re pitch the tent. She mentally told herself over, and over, again that Sophia was just exploring. The girl had never liked to stray far from her mother, but maybe she was just using the open space as a chance to stretch her wings. She looked up one more time to see that Sophia's figure was no longer possible from where she sat.

…

After less than a few minutes Sophia found herself directly behind the rv, flying lower. She had flown in a large circle to avoid being spotted by who ever was driving, and so that she could approach the large vehicle from behind. She coughed and waved away the noxious black fumes the rv spit in her face, and pulled up to avoid another spray of exhaust fumes. Sophia grabbed the railing of the ladder, that led to the roof of the metal beast, and folded her wings in quick to avoid them being torn from her back at the sudden change of speed. She clung to the railing as she swung her lanky legs over the side, and landed on the roof with a small _thunk._

Whoever was inside must have heard the girl land on their roof, because the rv suddenly started to pick up speed, and swerve in a random pattern, trying to shake Sophia off. She clung to the metal bars so hard her knuckles turned white as she held on for dear life. After the driver realized that they had failed to shake Sophia from the car, they slammed on the breaks, and caused the rv to lurch to stop. The sudden change in movement caused her to fly forward. She snapped open her wings on instinct, and managed to get in a few flaps to slow herself down, before she collided with a large tree. The rough bark was unforgiving to Sophia's soft skin as she slid down the truck, to the ground that waited below.

Sophia groaned and rubbed her scraped up neck as she pushed herself to her feet. That had been the second time today that the kid had crashed into something. She was beginning to think that flying was left to the birds. They were better built for it after all.

The door to the rv flew open, and a startled looking old man stepped out. He had soft brown eyes, and a bushy beard, that grew on his wrinkled face. He wore an unbuttoned tropical shirt with grey jeans, and a tan fishing. The man looked like that he could be somebody's grandfather.

"Jesus, girl! Are you okay?" He asked.

Sophia flinched, before she could stop herself, as the old man reached into his pocket.

"Hey there now, it's alright". He said.

Sophia watched as he took a balled up piece of cloth from his breast pocket. The man bent down, and the girl felt her body tense, as he ran the cloth across her upper lip. She blinked in surprise as he pulled the rag away from her face. Fresh blood was smeared across the, now soiled, cloth. Sophia reached a shaky finger up, and felt the wet feeling of blood on her digit. The adrenaline from the crash kept her from feeling just how hurt she really was.

"Im Dale". The man said, stuffing the rag back in his pocket. "Real sorry about trying to shake you off back there. I thought that you might be one of those angry, sick, people". He explained.

After receiving nothing but a blank stare from the girl, Dale gave her a questioning look and continued on.

"You're seriously okay though, right?" He asked. "Everything's fine arms, legs, ... wings?"

"I think so". Sophia answered weakly, pulling her wings in against her back.

"Oh, so you do speak". Dale joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Do you have a name?'

"Sophia".

"Pleasure to meet you, Sophia".

Sophia shook Dale's worn had as her offered it out to her. She peered through him, and took a look at the rv behind them.

"Do you live in there?" She asked him.

"My winnebago? Yeah, I was taking a cross country trip when all this mess broke out". He answered. "I was suppose to take the trip with my dear wife, but…"

A look of sadness crossed the old man's face as he trailed off. Sophia suddenly regretted her question, and moved quick to change the subject.

"Do you need a place to stay?" She bulrted. "I mean we have a camp set up. You could stay there, if you want".

"Sure". He smiled. "That would be great".

Dale padded back over to the ajar rv door, and gestured towards Sophia.

"Need a ride?" He asked

"My mama wouldn't like it if I took a ride with a stranger". She answered. "Thanks for the offer though".

"Hey, I get it". Dale responded. "You're a pretty smart kid".

Sophia blushed at the compliment. She wasn't used to receiving praise from people, other than her own mother. The girl waved to the man as he climbed back into the rv, and slammed the door. She shook out her wings, trying to lessen the sore feeling the impact had left. Dale wanted for Sophia to take to the air before he inched his vehicle forward. She followed the rv from above for a few miles, occasionally diving down to give directions.

Sophia swooped back down onto the camp, performing a dive bomb for the second time that day. The moment she landed she was met with her mother's anxious, and slightly annoyed, face.

"What happened to you!?" She asked in a fluster.

Carol ran her thumb under over the bridge of Sophia's nose. She winced in pain at the, suppose to be, gentle touch. Her face throbbed painfully as it heated up.

"I, um, fell of an rv". Sophia replied, digging her toe into the dirt.

"What!? Where did you go?" Carol questioned.

"There was this old man, all by himself, and I invited him to stay with us". She muttered.

Sophia's answer gained some curious glances from the others, and a dangerous glare from Ed. Shane straightened up, and looked like that he was about to say something about the situation, but was cut off by the crunch heavy wheels on gravel as the rv slowly pulled up to the tiny excuse for a camp. Everyone watched with baited breath as the door popped open. The two mothers drew their children closer, not knowing what to expect, as Dale stepped out into view.

"Hey there, folks". He greeted. "I'm Dale Horvath".

The group seemed to relax at the sight of the old man. If he was evil, then his voice was secure enough to fool them. Dale stood at little over 5 foot, with a slight frame, and didn't seem to hold any threat. Ed scoffed at the elderly man and turned his attention back towards his cigarette.

"I'm Shane Walsh". Shane greeted, taking charge.

The two men briefly shook hands before they were interrupted by a pitched yelp. Everybody turned towards the noise only to see Sophia clutching her nose in pain as Carol fussed about her scratched up body.

"I think it's broken". She muttered at her daughter slightly crooked, blood stained, nose.

"Uh, yeah, that's my fault". Dale admitted.

"What?" Shane looked hard at the man.

"He thought I was one of the sick people". Sophia said, trying to avoid any confrontation.

"As long as it was an honest mistake". Carol sighed.

Dale nodded his white and grey head.

"That looks pretty bad kid". Shane said, examining the girls facial wounds.

Sophia shrugged, trying to pass it off as not a big deal, but really she was under a large amount of pain. Every second it felt like more and more pressure was being placed on her nose, not to mention the fact that her scrapes were starting to sting, and her wings started to ache, now that the adrenalin had worn off.

"We should set it". Lori suggested.

"I don't know how". Carol told her. "And neither does Ed". She. Added quickly.

Lori cast a glance at the man and couldn't help but notice that he hadn't even made any sort of an effort to make sure his daughter was okay. She began to wonder just how many cuts and bruises this child had before her accident with the older man. Lori subconsciously put her arm around Carl, gaining a strange look from the boy.

"I know how to set a broken nose". Shane offered up.

"Would you mind?" Carol asked, looking both thankful and worried.

"Not at all, but I'd need to get it done before swelling starts". He informed them.

"I need to keep watch". Sophia chimed in.

"It'll be okay, I can stand guard". Dale offered. "After all I am the one that did this. It only seems fair".

Before anyone could agree or protest Dale claimed the ladder to his rv, and perched himself on the roof, pulling a pair of binoculars from an unseen pocket.

Sophia turned her attention back towards Shane, and gave him a calculating look. He seemed like a nice person, but it also seemed like he could turn scary when he wanted to. Sophia had a knack for reading people. The uniform he wore let her know that he was a police officer, but that didn't tell her much more about him.

"Come on". He said to her. "I'll take you inside the rv, Dale might have some things I can use".

Sophia cast her mother a slightly worried look. Carol returned an encouraging smile, and Ed even gave a glance of his own. He glared at Shane as Sophia followed him into the rv.

The faint smell of mildew and dust invaded Sophia's noses as she stepped inside the small space. The rvs insides reminded the girl a lot of a house an older person might live in. There were few cabinets, a table with a few seats, and a door that she assumed lead to a tiny bathroom. The curtain used to divide the living area from the driving was parted slightly, allowing Sophia to take a peek at the cab. Various Hawaiian themed things decorated the dashboard, such as flowers and bobble heads.

"Why don't you sit down?" Shane told Sophia. "I'll see if there's a first aid kit".

Sophia slid into one of the leathery seats as Shane opened the bathroom door. She patiently drummed her fingernails on the table and softly hummed a tune as she waited for the man to find what he was looking for.

"Snowbird, huh?"

Sophia jumped and her wings flared out as Shane re entered the room, holding the first aid kit.

"Woah, easy there". He said "You don't want a concussion too".

Sophia's face burned red as she stared down at the tan table.

"Sorry, sir". She muttered.

"No need to apologize". He replied.

Shane set the first aid kit down on the table, and sat down in the seat across from Sophia. The child eyed the bright red box suspiciously as he opened it.

"So you like Anne Murray?" Shane asked, digging around the

"Really just Snowbird". Sophia shrugged.

"That got anything to do with those?"

Shane gestured towards the large wings that jutted out of the girls back. The red color returned to Sophia's face was she folded them tight against her back. She mumbled a small 'maybe' as the man pulled on a rubber glove.

"Alright, Sophia? Is it?" Shane asked.

The girl nodded.

"Alright, Sophia". He started again. "You're not gonna like what I'm about to do, but I gotta do it".

"Umm.."

Sophia shifted her weight uncomfortably, trying her best not to look at Shane. She drew back suddenly as he reached towards her face with a white gauze.

"Come on, girl". Shane said in a soft tone, one reserved for children. "This'll be really quick, then you can go do whatever you want".

Sophia eyed Shane warily. She knew that he was going to try to reset her nose. Ed was found of watch boxing, any violent sport really, and whenever the girl found herself unable to escape the room she'd have no choice but to watch. Broken noses were quite a common thing to see. Sophia stares hard into the cop's eyes, and saw nothing but worry and concern. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and leaned in closer to Shane.

She winced as he placed the gaze over the bridge of her nose, but held still the best she could. After all, policemen were suppose to help people, right?

"Okay, ready?"

Before Sophia could nod, Shane jerked his gloved hand to the side, and snapped the bone back in place. The girl let out a sharp yelp as a burning sensation spread across her freckled face. Hot tears welled in her eyes as she pulled her face away from the man.

"Sorry, sorry". Shane said. "I told you that you weren't gonna like it, but the worst part's over".

Sophia allowed her fingertips to journey up to her nose, but recoiled as the touch sent another wave of pain the ought her pale face.

"doesn't hurt, too, too bad, does it?" Shane asked.

The young mutant shook her blonde head. It still hurt, a lot, but not as much as before he set the bone. Shane finished up the job by disinfecting and covering the various other bumps and scraps Sophia had obtained from the crash.

"Thank you, ". She said when he was finished with his work.

"No problem, kid". He nodded. "Now run along. Your mama's probably worried about you".

Sophia have him a small smile and nodded before sliding out of the booth. Now all patched up, she existed the rv to go find her mother. As she ran a small figure, that she recognized to be Carl, rushed out in front of her. The girl collided with the boy, and fell to the ground. The bucket Carl Carrie in his hands wet flying, and Sophia shuddered as cold water rained down onto her.

The mutated child groaned as Carl climbed back to his feet.

"You okay?" He asked, holding his hand out to her.

"Yeah, sorry". She said, accepting his help. "I should've been watching where I was going".

Carl picked his now empty bucket off the ground and frowned at the lack of water.

"I can help you get more water". Sophia offered, feeling a bit guilty.

"Nah, it's fine. I can do it in my own". He replied.

Carl looked away from the bucket and back to Sophia. He studied the tan bandages that covered her neck and cleft cheek. A larger band aid had been placed over her realized nose to hold it in place.

"Does that hurt?" He asked.

"A little. Your dad fixed it for me, and now it doesn't feel _as_ bad". Sophia answered. "I like your dad, he's nice". She added.

"He's not my dad". Carl muttered. "My daddies dead".

"Oh…"

Before anymore words could be exchanged between the two children, the sound of Carols worried voice drifted through the air.

"Sophia? Where'd you go?"

Carl gave a brief goodbye and hurried off to grab more water as Carol came walking around a large Boulder.

"I'm right here, mama".

"Oh, baby, are you okay? How does your face feel? Carol asked the moment she reached her daughter. "And why are you wet?"

"I bumped into Carl on accident, and my nose is good, well not _good_ , but better". Sophia replied, giving a small smile. "Mr. Walsh really helped".

"I'm glad he could help". Carol smiled back.

The mother gave her child a small pat on the back. She felt Sophia's wings shift under her shirt, and couldn't help but feel thankful for them. It would have been so easy for a normal human to have died from falling off a moving rv, but mutants were built a little tougher than that, and Carol was glad.

"Why don't you go grab your note book out of the car, and go see Mrs. grimes?" She suggested to her girl. "She has some math problems I want you to try, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to change out of those wet clothes".

"Okay, mama". Sophia nodded.

"And try to take it easy, baby!" The mother called as her child left.

Carol watched Sophia scurry off towards their car. If Sophia was busy doing work she couldn't think about the horrors around her, right? Carol sighed, and took a look around the area. The mother hoped that whatever was happening wouldn't last long, and that they could soon get their lives back on track. Though the state of Atlanta and the military's response didn't do much to ease her worry. Carol tensed as a hand clapped down on the back of her shoulder. She turned, expecting to see her husband's angry face, but was surprised when she was instead meet with the warm face of Dale.

"Sorry if I spooked you there". He greeted. "I just wanted to tell I'm so sorry about what I did to your little girl".

"Oh, it's alright. She's gonna be fine". Carol tried her best to smile. "We're all a little scared right now. I'm just glad she wasn't hurt".

"She's pretty tough". Dale said. "I was honestly surprised to see that she didn't break an arm, or leg, or even her neck!"

"She always be pretty durable, since the day she was born". Carol reminisced. "Fast, too. I'd be surprised if her mutation didn't have something to do with it".

"I'll say". He laughed lightly. "Your girl escaped with only a broken nose and some scratches. My old body would've been broken beyond repair".

The two stood, chuckling softly, at the old man's remark for a few nice seconds, before he shuffled off, back to watch duty. Carol turned and headed back towards her family. It was nice of Dale to be worried, and check in on Sophia, but in truth she was still considered. Not only about her daughter, but also about how Ed would react. Would he blame Dale? Maybe he would even blame Sophia for following him. Carol really didn't want to think about her child getting hurt anymore.

Carol took a brief moment to swing by the Grimes's car, just to make sure that Sophia was where she was told to go. The mother never liked the idea of not knowing where the kid was, and the rule definitely wasn't going to change with sick people walking around, attacking others. Carol walked over to find Lori watching Carl and Sophia, now wearing dry clothes, as they scribbled away at the problems in front of them. Shane sat in the running car with a worried look on his face.

"Hey, thanks for watching her". Carol greeted Lori, putting a hand on Sophia's blonde head.

"It's no problem". Lori respond. "Her and Carl seem to get along pretty well".

Sophia gave Carl a curious look, and Carl gave her his own curious look. The girl shrugged and returned to her work. She thought that Carl was actually pretty cool, but making friends just didn't come easy for her. The girl

Was just glad he was okay with her being a mutant.

"What's he doing in there?" Carol asked, looking at Shane. "If you don't mind me asking".

Sophia looked up in the direction of the man who had helped her, and noticed him looking very displease, and kind of scared, as he fiddled with the controls on the car radio.

"He's trying to get information about what's happening". Lori sighed. "Last thing we heard all the hospitals were being guarded in major cities, but now…" She trailed off.

Lori's voice broke slightly as she spoke. The mother quickly turned her head away from the children, so they couldn't see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. After a few deep breaths Lori seemed to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry". She said as normally as she could. "It's just that my husband is in the King County hospital".

"Oh my God, I'm really sorry to hear that". Carol said softly. "What happened to him? He wasn't attacked by a sick person, was he?"

"No, nothing like that. He's the sheriff back in our hometown, and was shot in the line of duty". Lori explained. "Shane's his partner". She added, nodding towards him.

Sophia looked up at Carl and noticed that he was struggling to keep tears from falling from his own eyes. He just kept his head bent over his math, trying hard to work and not think too much. Sophia felt a pang of sadness in her chest, so that's what the boy had meant by "My daddy's dead". They had to leave him behind. The girl wondered what the world would be like if everybody could just fly like her, then no one would be left behind.

Sophia's thoughts were interrupted by Shane as he opened the car doors. A slightly panicked voice drifted from the radio and filled the ears of the gathered survivors. A man spoke of people falling ill after being attacked by the sick, and even reports of the sick not reacting to police fire. According to radio every remaining, healthy, person were to gather in large cities, or block themselves into their homes. All highways were being shut down as well.

Every stood in a stunned silence after receiving the new information. The sick could withstand being shot? No normal human could survive a bullet piercing their chest, not even most mutants.

"If a sick person attacks us, we turn sick, like them?" Sophia asked timidly.

"That won't happen, baby". Carol said softly. "We'll stay safe".

"Promise?"

"I promise".

Sophia nodded, seemingly satisfied with her mother's answer, and returned to her work. Carol, Lori, and Shane all gathered around to have a conversation in hushed voices. They tried to discuss what their next moves would be.

"I say we wait it out". Shane stated firmly. "Leaving will only make it harder for the military to find us when they clean this mess up".

"Do we really want them to find us?" Lori asked. "After what they did to those people on the highway".

"There were just too many sick back there". Shane argued. "They just panicked".

"Not exactly a good thing for the military to do".

"I think we should discuss this with the others". Carol interjected.

"Discuss what?"

Carol watched Sophia's head shoot up like a bullet at the sound of Eds voice. It saddened the mother to see so much fear in her daughters young eyes, but the fear wasn't without reason.

Ed was drunk.

It didn't surprise Carol that her husband had found a way to get drunk, but what did surprise her was the fact that he dated to do it in front of the others. She had really hoped the the new not so private area would curb his usual behaviors. But alas, here he was, unsteady and angry, just like normal.

"Our plan". Shane said in a matter of fact tone.

"What do you mean _our_ plan". Eds voice dripped.

Based on the way Ed had put emphasis on our, Carol could tell that he wasn't a fan of Shane's words. He had always been very positive. To the point of forcing his wife to have the close shaved haircut she did then.

"What I mean is how we, all of us, are going to survive". Shane said calmly.

"I think you should be more worried about how _you_ are going to survive". Ed growled. "My family ain't none of your business".

"Look, all he's trying to do is-" Lori started, but was quickly interrupted by Ed.

"Shut the hell up, bitch!" He snapped. "I did not give you permission to speak".

Lori stood looking like she had just been slapped in the face. She could barely believe the level of sexism in his few words. Carl shoot Sophia an angry and question look, wondering why her dad would say such things to his mother. Before Lori had a chance to do anything, Shane was on the defensive.

"She doesn't need your permission to speak. He growled. "Nobody here needs your permission to speak".

The two men locked eyes as Shane's fingers dances towards the gun he kept hidden in his waistband. Ed seemed to notice the motion, and chose to just mutter some very colorful words as he slumped back to his tent.

"I- I'm so sorry about that". Carol stammered. "He can get a little… temperamental after a few drinks".

"It's fine, but if it happens again though, I'm not gonna be so nice". Shane warned. "This is no time to be screwing around".

"I understand". Carol nodded sheepishly.

"The nerve of some people…" Lori muttered as she walked away.

Carol tried her best to look calm as Sophia gave her a wide eyed stare. So much for making good impressions. All the mother could do was hope that the group wouldn't hold his actions against her, or Sophia. Carol sighed, It looked like they were in for a rough time.

 **AN: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I'm hoping for more frequent updates in the future. If you liked please leave a favorite, follow, or review.**

 **Thanks for reading! New chapter soon~**


	4. The First Night

**Hey there guys! Welcome back to a new chapter of my story. I'm sorry for how long this took to get out. I had an entirely different chapter planned, but decided that it would be better to show the first night at the camp instead.**

 **Enjoy~**

Sophia laid still, her young heart beating wildly at every small bump and scratch in the night. Like any child, she had been outside lots of times… but sleeping outside? Sleeping outside was another story. The whole idea of sleeping outside in a tent as new her. She had never been camping before, and was beginning to see why. The only reason they even owned a tent was because he father used to love to go camping.

The combination of scary and uncomfortable made Sophia wonder just why anybody had chose to sleep like this before they had to. She figured that this situation would be a lot more fun if the constant idea of sick people tearing into their small tent and doing God knows what wasn't rattling around in her mind.

She shuddered at the thought of that happening. What would being sick feel like? The thin canvas of the tent around her didn't feel like it would protect against an attack. Sophia suddenly felt like crying. It wasn't even 48 hours ago that she was at home, not having to worry about sick people suddenly tearing their house apart and attacking them. They had been at the camp for an entire day, but now that night was setting in it felt real. She might never see her home again.

The girl's eyes widened and her thoughts were lost as a large arm wrapped itself around her thin frame. Sophia risked a small head turn to glance at her father beside her. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she laid eyes on his sleeping form. The arm was just an unconscious movement, and nothing more.

Sophia give her slender legs a slight wiggle under her sleeping bag. The fabric clung to her body with a small film of sweet. Everything about the situation was uncomfortable. The temperature was too hot, her wings didn't seem to want to fold in right, her hair felt too scratchy against her neck, and she couldn't seem to escape the idea that death loomed just around the corner.

Sophia soon found herself with a viscous case of insomnia as she wrestled with her thoughts, and tried to settle down.

The girl rolled her head from side to side, trying hard to fall asleep. But no matter how hard she tried, sleep just wouldn't come to her. The minutes passed by like hours as she layed on the lumpy ground. After what felt like years, Sophia sighed and gave up on her dream of dreams. Sophia could still see the soft embers of the dying fire from earlier, and decided to go hang out by the light for a bit. Maybe she could lessen some of her worries if she didn't feel so trapped. She slowly eased her father's arm back to his side, and carefully climbed towards the tent's exit.

The night greeted her with a small breath of fresh air. It was surprisingly cooler outside the claustrophobic tent. She breathed the air in deeply, giving her nose a small, yet pleasant, stinging feeling. As much as she hated the dark, Sophia could always find appreciation in the night. It was quiet and calm, the way the world was meant to be.

The mutant crept her was towards the dying fire with careful perserison. She doged large bits of gravel that would crunch loudly, if stept on, discarded cans and papers, and the stakes of tents. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, on look out for the sick. There didn't seem to be any in the area around the entire quarry, but Sophia wasn't dumb enough to not at least look for some of them.

She couldn't help but wince slightly as the small rocks in the dirt dug themselves into her bare feet. Sophia had traded her daytime outfit for her nighttime one. Bare feet, grey fuzzy sweatpants, and a white tee shirt. Not exactly the best outfit for sneaking around at night in.

She sat herself at one of the many folding lawn chairs left out the dinner that they all had hours before. The chair groaned loudly as it adjusted itself to her sudden weight. Sophia froze for a moment, thinking that maybe someone, or something, had heard the sound. She strained her ears in an attempt to hear any noise coming from the tents. The girl allowed herself to relax a little after nothing happened. She gave the trees another quick scan to make double sure there was nothing nearby. Normally, Sophia was petrified of the dark, she was still a little spooked in the moment, but something about knowing that there were plenty of people just a stone's throw away made her feel a little safer.

Sophia picked at the bandaid plastered to her face as she stared into the softly glowing embers. Her mind wandered back to all the times her teachers at school had tried so hard to instill good lessons about fire safety once a year. She had always loved fire safety day, getting to skip class for a whole day? What kid wouldn't want that? Sure, they had to listen to a longer than needed lecture, the same one year, after year, but the smokehouse at the end was fun, so she couldn't really complain too much.

"I wouldn't peel bandage that off just yet". A voice said from behind her.

Sophia flinched out of her memories and turned so quick the folding chair toppled over, throwing her to the the ground.

"Carful! We just fixed that face."

Sophia looked up to see the dimly lit figure of Shane standing before her with his hand out stretched in a friendly manner.

"Sorry". She mumbled, accepting his help up.

"You don't have to say sorry". He responded.

Sophia brushed the dust and dirt away from her shirt, waiting for the lecture she was surely about to receive for leaving her tent.

"Sophia," Shane started glancing around. "Why are you out here so late? You didn't come out here on your own did you?" He asked in a serious tone.

Sophia waited for him to say more, but he seemed intent on waiting for her answer. On the outside, she merely gave him a blank stare, but on the inside she was screaming. She suddenly felt like crying again. Crying in front of people, epically people she nearly knew, wasn't something that Sophia liked to do, but she was tired and under a lot of stress. For whatever reason her limbs just felt heavy and her mind foggy. She just wanted to let go and share her fears about their new "home" with someone.

Shane saw the shift in the child's facial expression, and suddenly took pity on her. Yes, it was beyond stupid to go out alone at night, even just a few paces away, but he could tell her father was a major ass from what he's seen, and suddenly couldn't blame her for not wanting to be in her tent.

"Look," he sighed. "I know this is rough, you've probably seen a lot that you never wanted to, and you're just a kid. I couldn't imagine what must be running through your head, or even Carl's for that matter". He said. "But it's dangerous to sneak out like this. What if something got you?" He asked.

Sophia responded to him with a question of her own.

"Are you gonna tell my parents?" She asked in a small voice.

Shane let out another sigh. He thought carefully for a moment, but decided that he'd just give the poor girl a break. They were all going though a big change, and that could be tough on kids. He remember how hard it was for Carl it accept the fact that his dad was never coming back.

"I'm not gonna tell your parents".

Sophia gave him a look that somehow managed to be surprised, confused, relieved, curious, and suspicious all at the same time. He had to admit, the level of expression this girl had was a bit impressive.

"You're not?" She questioned.

"No," He confirmed "I'm not".

Sophia opened her mouth to say something else, but Shane cut her off before she could.

"But I don't want to catch you sneaking out again". He said. "Think about what your parents would do if they caught you out here".

As if on cue, Ed stuck his head out of the his family's tent, and looked around the area with a look of anger written all over his face. Sophia shrunk back as his eyes locked on to her. He clambered out of the tent and marched towards them, warning nothing but his baggy boxers.

Ed grabbed Sophia's small forearm and gripped it tight. He tugged her towards him, causing her to suck in a quick breath of surprise.

"What are you doing' out here?" He snarled.

"I-I was - I was just…" Sophia stammered, trying desperately to find words.

"We were just having a little chat". Shane answered, glaring at Ed.

"I already told you my family is none of your business". He snapped back.

Shane wanted nothing more than to argue, but knew that it would only escalate the man's mood. Sophia was already in hot water, and there would be no sense in waking everybody up with a shouting match. So, he just glared back at Ed. After a few seconds, Ed decided that he had had enough of being awake so late, and gave Sophia's arm another hard tug, this time back towards the tent.

"Come on!" He barked, spit flying from his mouth.

Shane watched as Ed charged away, Sophia follow the best she could with her arm held, being yanked and tugged all the way back.

Man, he did not envy that poor kid.

"I- I'm sorry". Sophia stuttered as Ed shoved her back into the tent. "I- I didn't mean to-"

"Hush!" He barked.

Sophia quickly, and wisely, shut her mouth as Ed paced around the tent. His face was red, with an expression that was an awful mix of angry tired. She could practically _feel_ how mad was.

"Sophia?" Carol's sleepy voice whispered in the dark.

Ed wasted no time in responding.

"Go outside". He ordered in a dark tone.

"What?"

Now Carol was sitting upright, fully awake and alert. She had heard that tone of voice before, and it never meant anything good.

"I need to teach our brat an important lesson about sneaking out". He practically growled.

"Sneaking out? Sophia wouldn't-"

"I said out!" He snapped, forcing his wife to be quiet.

Sophia locked eyes with Carol as she left, almost begging her not to be left alone with him. She knew that her mother was powerless to do anything, but she was terrified. Ed was furious, and the last thing Sophia wanted was to be left alone with him. Carol did nothing but give her a look that manger to be sad, sympathetic, scared, and frustratedly powerless all at the same time.

The moment Carol was gone, Ed turned his full attention to the child sitting on the floor before him. A tense silence hung between the pair.

"What the fuck was that?!" He exploded, breaking the silence. "I told you not to stay away from that pansy ass pig!"

Sophia knew that it had to be a rhetorical question. She had learned the hard way last October what they were when she actually gave an answer to the standard "what the fuck was that?".

"You know you're a really handful!" He continued. "I gotta feed ya, buy school supplies for ya, and pay for the goddamn clothes that cover your deformities! And now I got get a fucking baby monitor to watch you!"

Sophia took in a sharp breath in an attempt to regulate her breathing. "Deformities" she was used to being teased and picked on, but the word just cut her like a knife.

 _I'm not deformed, I'm special. There's nothing wrong with me… Right?_

"No sir…" She mumbled.

Ed glanced at the slightly open tent flap. His eyes shined with evil new ideas.

"So…" He started.

Sophia trembled as she choked back tears of fear. Something about the suddenly calm way her father spoke made her feel beyond uneasy.

"You like being outside?" He finished.

Confusion took over Sophia's mind as she processed what he asked.

"Wh- what?"

"Well, I just figured that if you enjoy being outside so much you could try sleeping out there". Ed explained with a wicked undertone.

Sophia's eyes widened as she took in what he said. Outside was cold and dangerous, the sick could be anywhere. He wouldn't really force her to sleep outside, would he?

"I- I wouldn't". She sputtered. "Please, don't make me".

"Oh, I can and I will".

And with that Sophia found herself alone and barefoot in the cold, holding a scratchy wool blanket. Her mother had been called back into the tent, leaving the girl to fend for herself. Something rustled in the trees, nearly scaring her out of skin. The mutant decided that her best chance of safety would be in the trees. The sick people didn't look like that they could climb.

Sophia shook her tired wings out and guided herself to a high up branch on a mighty, strong, tree. She slipped a few times before getting a good grip on the branch she landed on. The blanket itched and scratched at her skin as she wrapped it around her back, in an attempt to shield herself from the cold. Sophia looked up at the night sky and sighed to herself. She knew that she should be happy that she has escaped with only one punishment, but still…

It was gonna be a long night.

 **AN: Thank you guys for reading my story so far! I am planning on a fifth chapter, and another new chapter of** _ **That Damn Deer Girl**_ **should be out soon, so be on the lookout for that.**

 **If you enjoyed a follow, favorite, and/or review would be very appreciated!**

 **Thanks for reading! New chapter soon~**


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